The best Sundays begin with an early wake-up--no alarm necessary--then a fresh pot of coffee, honeyed toast, and a stack of catch-up reading, all savored well before the rest of the world stumbles out of bed. If I've got nowhere to be and no work to complete for a looming 9 a.m. Monday meeting, even better.
On a morning such as this, all the little projects schemed up on the commute to work seem possible. Sure, I can build a shelf over the window for my herbs and pepper plants. While I'm at it, why not organize the mystery cleaning supplies that have accumulated under the kitchen sink and the random nails and tools that live in the miscellany drawer? And, oh yeah, I should totally bake that bread I keep thinking about--so what that my apartment is already a freakishly humid 80°F at 8 a.m.?
I never did build that shelf (maybe next Sunday?) and my efforts at organizing were short-lived (I may have gotten side-tracked by a walk around the neighborhood), but I sure did bake that bread, and oh man was it worth the labor...and the heat. The crust came out crunchy but not too thick, and the bread itself is light, airy, and moist, with subtle hints of sweet potato and rosemary. Since it's not very dense, this is the perfect Thanksgiving bread--and a great vehicle for sopping up any last drops of gravy.
~Peggy
~Peggy
Homemade bread tends to take a while, and can be quite labor-intensive for a Thanksgiving dinner, but when you want to go all-out, it certainly makes a difference. This recipe is based on John Barricelli's Potato-Rosemary Bread in The SoNo Baking Company Cookbook. Having already made a few of the cookies and cakes from this book--and bearing in mind that bread making is truly John's claim to fame--I knew I could trust him to steer me in the right direction.
Without a turkey in sight--and Thanksgiving months and months away--I enjoyed a slice with a big bowl of homemade veggie soup (an impromtu project I added to my Sunday list while grocery shopping).
Sweet Potato-Rosemary Bread
Makes 1 round loaf
Ingredient prep time: 6 minutes
Process + rising time: 3 hours and 40 minutes
Bake time: 30-35 minutes
¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons warm (105° to 110°F) water
1 packet (2¼ teaspoons) active dry yeast
2 cups plus 2 tablespoons bread flour
½ cup whole wheat flour
2¼ teaspoons coarse salt
Half of a medium or large baked sweet potato, cut up (skin on)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
Pour about half of the warm water over the yeast in a small bowl and let it bubble for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the bread and whole wheat flours, salt, potato, and rosemary on low speed until the potato is broken up into small bits and the mixture is well combined, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the yeast mixture and the remaining water and beat until the flour is absorbed and a firm, sticky dough forms.
Turn the dough out onto an unfloured surface. Knead by grabbing the dough from underneath with the thumb and the first two fingers of both hands, then folding it over on itself. Give it a quarter turn and repeat. As you work the dough and the gluten starts to develop, the flour will absorb moisture, become less sticky, and form into a firm ball. Knead for about 5-7 minutes, or until the dough is smooth and springy. Stretching it gently, fold in the left and right sides of the dough to the center, then the top and bottom, to make a ball. Place the dough smooth side down in a lightly oiled bowl, then turn the dough over so the smooth side faces up and both sides are coated in oil. Cover with oiled plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place (at least 70°F) until increased in bulk by 1½ times, 1 to 1½ hours.
Deflate the dough by folding the top down, the bottom up, and the sides in. Turn the dough in the bowl so the smooth side faces up. Cover again with the plastic wrap and let rise until increased in bulk by 1½ times, about 1 hour.
Turn the dough out onto an unfloured surface so the top is again facing down. Fold in the top, bottom, and sides as you did before. Turn the dough top side up. Then quickly shape it between the palms of your hands into a neat ball. Place your hands, palms up, on either side of the ball and move your hands together so they touch underneath the dough; give the dough a quarter turn and repeat two more times. You've just created a boule! Place the boule on a lightly floured baking sheet. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise again in a warm place until increased in bulk by 1½ times, 30 to 45 minutes.
Set the oven rack in the middle position and preheat the oven to 500°F.
Slash a ¼-inch deep "X" in the top of the boule with a sharp knife. Place the baking sheet in the oven. Immediately reduce the heat to 450°F. Bake the bread until well browned and sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom (use an oven mitt to carefully lift it up, then gently tap on the bottom with your knuckles), 30 to 35 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.
